find_flags in Kitware GCC-XML (gccxml) 0.9.0 allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a /tmp/*.cxx temporary file.
Weakness
The product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource.
Affected Software
| Name | Vendor | Start Version | End Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gccxml | Gccxml | 0.9.0 (including) | 0.9.0 (including) |
| Gccxml | Ubuntu | devel | * |
| Gccxml | Ubuntu | gutsy | * |
| Gccxml | Ubuntu | hardy | * |
| Gccxml | Ubuntu | intrepid | * |
| Gccxml | Ubuntu | jaunty | * |
| Gccxml | Ubuntu | karmic | * |
| Gccxml | Ubuntu | upstream | * |
Potential Mitigations
- Follow the principle of least privilege when assigning access rights to entities in a software system.
- Denying access to a file can prevent an attacker from replacing that file with a link to a sensitive file. Ensure good compartmentalization in the system to provide protected areas that can be trusted.
Related Attack Patterns
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/132.html
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/17.html
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/35.html
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/76.html
References
- http://bugs.debian.org/496391
- http://dev.gentoo.org/~rbu/security/debiantemp/gccxml
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2008/10/30/2
- https://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=235770
- https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/46408
- http://bugs.debian.org/496391
- http://dev.gentoo.org/~rbu/security/debiantemp/gccxml
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2008/10/30/2
- https://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=235770
- https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/46408